Chapter 21: The Chief Engineer’s Interrogation, You Are Just Talking Theory on Paper!

The cheers and applause from the crowd merged into a thunderous wave of sound, nearly overturning the tranquility of the valley. Experts from the Environmental Protection Agency surrounded He Yu, their words filled with admiration and high expectations; the official approval, stamped with a crimson seal, seemed already within his grasp. The path to establishing Longhai University appeared to have finally cleared its last hurdle.

However, before the echoes of celebration could fade, a harsh engine roar tore through the harmonious atmosphere, drawing closer from the distance. Several pitch-black off-road vehicles, bearing the conspicuous license plates of the Provincial Department, charged in like a pack of steel beasts invading the valley, churning up a sky full of dust and approaching with an irresistible force.

"Screech—!"

A sharp, piercing sound of emergency braking cut through the air as the motorcade came to a brutal halt on the periphery of the crowd.

The doors opened.

An elderly man with gray hair and a stern countenance stepped out, surrounded by an entourage. He wore a Zhongshan suit washed to a faded pale shade and a pair of sturdy, mud-caked canvas shoes—a stark contrast to the sharp-suited experts around him. Yet, the moment he appeared, the atmospheric pressure of the entire venue seemed to plummet. His gaze lacked the dullness typical of old age; instead, it was like that of a bird of prey—sharp, icy, and capable of easily stripping away all pretenses to reach the essence of any matter.

"Chief... Chief Engineer Li!"

The experts, who had been beaming just a moment before, saw their blood drain away the instant they recognized him. Their smiles froze on their faces; they subconsciously stood at attention, heads slightly bowed. It was an instinctive awe born from being crushed by both superior knowledge and authority.

The man was none other than Li Weimin, Chief Engineer of the Nanhe Provincial Environmental Protection Bureau—a legendary figure in the domestic environmental field known for his incorruptibility and a rigor so strict it bordered on the obsessive.

Li Weimin offered only a barely perceptible nod to those greeting him. From the moment he stepped out of the vehicle, his gaze had bypassed everyone, like a searing branding iron fixed firmly upon He Yu and the massive screen behind him displaying the "Phoenix Butterfly Symbiosis Project" design.

"I watched the live broadcast of this design on my way here," Li Weimin said. His voice was not loud, but it was heavy, each word seemingly chiseled from granite, carrying an undeniable weight.

"The ideas are sound, and in some places, they could even be called brilliant," he began with an affirmation, allowing those who had been holding their breath to exhale slightly.

"However..."

With that single turn, the temperature in the venue dropped to freezing. Li Weimin’s tone rose sharply, becoming severe and cutting.

"In my view, this is nothing more than a flashy, impractical 'armchair theory' floating in the air!"

As his voice fell, the entire valley descended into a deathly silence. The sound of the wind, the chirping of insects, and even breathing were swallowed by that one sentence.

In the live stream, the millions of viewers who had just been spamming "The Chancellor is a legend!" saw their comments freeze. Everyone’s heart felt as if it had been gripped by an invisible hand and pulled into their throats.

*Holy crap, the big boss is here! This presence is leagues above those other experts!*

*It’s over, the Chancellor has hit a real wall. You can tell at a glance this old expert isn't someone you can fool; his eyes are like knives.*

Li Weimin ignored the reaction of his surroundings. He walked straight to the design draft, extended a calloused index finger with large knuckles, and pointed at the air before the screen without touching it. To the onlookers, that finger felt heavier than a judge's gavel.

He raised his eyes, his gaze piercing directly into He Yu, and a cross-examination began.

"Young man, let me ask you the first question: ecological modeling."

He spoke with incredible speed, his technical jargon pouring down like a torrential rainstorm. "Your design is beautiful, but all ecological transformation must be built upon precise data models. I ask you, for this valley with over five hundred species of vascular plants, hundreds of coleopteran insects, and the complex micro-ecosystem of fungi, nematodes, and annelids beneath them, have you calculated the precise ecological carrying capacity thresholds?"

"What are your data sources? How long is your simulation cycle? How many models have you used for cross-validation?"

"Second question: soil and water conservation."

He gave He Yu no time to think or respond.

"Large-scale construction will inevitably destroy the original landscape. The vertical green walls and roof gardens you've designed look lovely, but Nanhe Province has a typical subtropical monsoon climate. Have you calculated the instantaneous slope runoff caused by heavy summer rainfall? Can the soil-fixing capacity of the vegetation roots you've designed withstand a once-in-a-century rainstorm? Where are your slope runoff coefficients and soil erosion dynamic models?"

"Third question: long-term evolution!"

"Fourth question: gene pool contamination..."

In one breath, Li Weimin launched a storm of questioning on seven of the most core and professional aspects, ranging from ecological modeling, soil and water conservation, and long-term evolution to gene pool contamination, micro-climate impacts, the effectiveness of species migration corridors, and long-term maintenance costs.

Each question was like a sharp scalpel, precisely probing for the weakest points in the plan. Each question was filled with undisguised challenge.

The expert group standing to the side broke into a cold sweat. Their faces shifted from white to red, then to a sickly green. They realized with horror that any single one of the questions posed by Chief Engineer Li would be enough to serve as the core thesis for a doctoral dissertation. Forget answering—many of them would need a long time just to digest the questions themselves.

And now, these seven mountains were condensed into a single minute and pressed upon that young man who still stood tall.

The atmosphere in the venue was suffocating to the extreme. Every eye, whether on-site or in the live stream, was fixed intently on He Yu, waiting for his "judgment."